Bowling ball grip insert



Jan. 17, 1961 P. N. VINCENT BOWLING BALL GRIP INSERT Filed March 28, 1958 United States Patent 2,968,484 BOWLING BALL GRIP INSERT Paul N. Vincent, 317 Highland Ave., East Lansing, Mich. Filed Mar. 28, 1958, Ser. No. 724,704 2 Claims. (Cl. 27363) This invention relates to a grip insert and more particularly to a grip insert for bowling balls which will provide positive, non-slip control and delivery of bowling balls by the users thereof.

The use of bowling ball inserts and patches with bo'wling balls is well known in the bowling art. Many claims are made on behalf of such inserts and patches asserting that bowling scores will increase as a result of the use of such devices.

Ribs, notches and chamfers have been incorporated into the inserts or patches of the prior art in attempts to provide products alleged to improve bowling ball action. In practice, such innovations do not have any more appreciable effect on the bowling of the user than a plain insert or patch of the same material. Such ribbing or notching is so minute when compared to the overall surface of the inserts that there is relatively no additional gripping action afiorded the user. i

All of the inserts and/or patches found in the prior art are comprised of either rubber, rubber-like materials, or of rubber-cork combinations in varying proportions alleged to be critical. Such materials provide a substantially smooth, homogeneous surface once the insert or patch has been placed in use. Perspiration, dirt, and wear combine to provide a slippery glazed surface on the inserts of the prior art which does little to improve the bowling score of the user. This undesirable efiect is easily demonstrated by rubbing a pencil eraser over the palm of ones hand. It is noted that the eraser actually slides over the palm due to the perspiration coating its surface.

It is therefore seen that none of the devices of the prior art have provided an eifective means to provide a proper grip on a bowling ball. In short, none of the devices of the prior art have efiectively provided a means to aiford positive control of a bowling ball.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a bowling ball insert which affords the user a firmer grip on the ball, thus helping to prevent droppage or slippage.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a bowling ball insert which aids the user to impart a lift or turn to the ball for more efiective ball action.

Yet another object of this invention is to aid the user to impart a maximum number of revolutions to the ball in its forward roll, after proper release.

Still another object of this invention is to aid the user in controlling accurate delivery of the ball due to the superior holding factor of the unique structure of the instant bowling ball insert.

Another object of this invention is to provide a bowling ball insert which affords an equally secure feeling when the hands of the user are either moist, dry, oily, calloused or leathery.

Another object is to provide a simple trouble-free structure capable of high production and economical maintenance.

Other objects and advantages found in the construction of my invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification in connection with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the bowling ball insert mounted on the removable cloth backing.

Figure 2 is a cross-section of the bowling ball insert taken on line II-II of Figure 1 illustrating the layer construction of the insert.

Figure 3 is an enlarged partial break-away view illustrating the lattice-like structure of the abrasive coated member mounted on the adhesive member to form traps or recesses.

Figure 4 is a partial top view of a bowling ball illustrating a finger or thumb hole with the bowling ball insert in place.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line V-V in Figure 4 further illustrating the bowling ball insert in place within a bowling ball finger or thumb hole.

General Description In general, a bowling ball insert 11 is provided whereby an abrasive coated lattice-like member 12 is mounted upon a double-face adhesive 13, which adhesive is pre-' pared beforehand with a removable cloth backing 14. The removable cloth backing 14 protects the adhesive quality of the unique insert 11 until it is: ready for use in either the thumb or finger hole 15 of any bowling ball 16. In place within the finger and/or thumb hole of a bowling ball, this unique insert provides an excellent gripping or control surface due to its lattice-like structure.

In the preferred embodiment, thin strips of plastic coated cloth adhesive tape are used to provide a shoulder or butter patch trim 17. This shoulder or buffer trim 17 protects hands which are unusually sensitive by covering the edge or corner of the abrasive coated member 12 Thus, a novel and highly eflective bowling ball insert or patch 11 is provided which gives the user a high degree of control in delivery of the bowling ball.

Specific description The bowling ball insert or patch 11, as shown in Figure 1, is comprised of an abrasive grid-like member 12, doubleface adhesive member 13, and thin strips of plastic coated cloth adhesive tape 17. The insert 11 is mounted upon a removable cloth backing 14 until it is ready for use.

The abrasive coated structure 12 is made by applying a silicon carbide or aluminum oxide coating to both sides of a lattice-like foundation. It is within the scope of the invention that other abrasive-like coatings may be utilized.

The lattice-like member 12 is comprised of a plurality of longitudinal members 18 and transverse members 19. These longitudinal and transverse members 18 and 19 are integrated to provide a plurality of substantially square like openings 20. This structural configuration is shown in Figure 3.

The abrasive coated lattice-like member 12 is substantially rectangular in shape and is about 178 inches long and about inch wide. These dimensions may be varied for any particular application.

The abrasive coated lattice-like member 12 is then applied to a double-face adhesive tape member 13 which is slightly wider than the abrasive-coated member 12, as shown in Figure 2. The openings 20 in the lattice like member 12 form traps when backed by the adhesive member 13. These tiny traps effectively collect dirt, moisture, and perspiration thereby allowing the surface a or upper edges of the lattice-like member 12 to retain its abrasive character over polonged usage.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, narrow strips of plastic coated cloth adhesive tape trims 17 are providedalong the cross section of Figure 2, thereby preventing contact with the rough longitudinal edges or corners of the lattice-like member 12 which might injure more sensitive fingers or thumbs. I

A substantially wider removable cloth backing 14 is provided on the bottom face of the double-face adhesive 13, as shown in Figure 1. This cloth backing 14 protects the adhesive quality of the insert 11 and is removable when the insert is to be used.

In use, the cloth backing 14 is removed from the double-faced adhesive 13. The insert 11 is then pressed into the finger or thumb hole 15 of a bowling ball 16. The insert 11 may be shortened, if necessary, so that the top of the insert 11 is slightly below the upper rim of the finger or thumb hole 15, as shown in Figure 5. In this manner, a control surface is provided within any selected hole, finger and/or thumb, of a bowling ball, which will enable a bowler to have nearest positive control of this bowling ball during delivery. The unique structure of this insert 11 provides a control surface which remains effective for prolonged periods of usage, thereby eliminating the necessity of changing inserts.

The basic concept of this invention is to provide a lattice-like structure which may be coated with an abrasive material and is insertable into a finger or thumb hole of a bowling ball to provide an effective gripping surface therein.

Various modifications of the invention may be made without departing from the principle thereof. Each of these modifications is to be considered as included in the hereinafter appended claims unless these claims by their language expressly provide otherwise.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, I claim the following:

1. In a bowling ball insert structure, the combination including: a lattice-like grid member having openings therethrough and configured to form an insert patch for bowling balls, said grid member coated entirely by :an abrasive material so as to impart a positive control surface to said grid member; an adhesive layer applied to one side of said grid member, said adhesive layer adapted to selectively mount said grid member in a bowling ball hole; and a removable backing member provided on the exposed face of said adhesive layer.

2. A bowling ball insert for providing a positive control and gripping surface, the combination including: a removable backing member; a double-faced adhesive member mounted on said backing member; anabrasivecoated lattice-like grid member having openings therethrough mounted on said adhesive member; and smoothfaced trimlmembers having substantially the same thickness as said lattice-like grid member mounted on said adhesive member adjacent the lontigudinal edges of said lattice-like grid member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 703,519 Becker July 1, 1902 1,587,082 Mattern June 1, 1926 1,931,429 Buckner et al Oct. 17, 1933 2,021,522 Schacht Nov. 19, 1935 2,435,327 Seurynck Feb. 3, 1948 2,708,578 Mitchell May 17, 1955 

